Other Vices
by QuickStrike15
Summary: More Trouble has come to Earth. Can it be stopped? Second in the series.


Other Vices  
  
WRITTEN BY  
QuickStrike15  
(TieanBrice@aol.com)  
  
This episode is a continuation to "New Lease", my very first story. So, please, read that first, to understand what's going on. If you enjoy my stories, please send comments to TieanBrice@aol.com. Now, to the story!  
  
  
  
The Aliens devise an attack plan, in their home galaxy.  
ALIEN #1: "Now, if we're to attack the outsiders with their own forms, we have to follow every one of their steps."  
ALIEN #2: "And we know exactly how they do it, from the scans we've run on the test subjects."  
ALIEN #1: "First, we must locate 'Stasis Pods', I believe those creatures refer to them as. That is the place of origin for them.  
ALIEN #2: "The 'Stasis Pods' contain the 'Protoforms', correct?"  
ALIEN #1: "Yes. The 'Protoforms' are controlled by 'Sparks', the essence of these strangers."  
ALIEN #2: "And in the case of the Tigerhawk creature, we replace the need for an essence."  
ALIEN #1: "Correct. Now, to work."  
  
***  
  
The Aliens enter the Earth's galaxy, then its atmosphere.  
ALIEN #1: "I've located several of these life units, scattered across Earth."  
ALIEN #2: "Let us start the project." The first, gold eyed alien splits into two more of itself, and the second, red eyed alien splits into one other of itself. They all zoom in different directions, toward five different Stasis Pods.  
  
All five Aliens reach their final targets. The Stasis Pods rock and shake, as they try to accept new programming. They cease their rocking, and scan for compatible life forms on Earth to survive the heavy interference from the Energon fields nearby. The searches end, and they surface from their transformation cells. One comes from the beach, a frog, strangely made of water, but having robotic parts held inside of itself, as if the water shields all of it. The next is a swift, fastest bird on the planet, made of a cloud exterior. The third, a fox, made from lava. Next, a bear, created with bushes and branches. And the last, a tortoise, covered with a boulder exterior. They all investigate their new forms, seeing everything they could now do with them. Once they acclimate, they set off in search of each other.  
  
All five new forms reach the highest point of the planet. The rock turtle speaks.  
TURTLE: "So, this is what it is like to be one of these creatures." The female voice of the frog speaks up.  
FROG: "Very interesting."  
TURTLE: "I believe that if we are to fit like these strange outsiders, we must assume names for ourselves."  
FROG: "I will be...Liquida, master of the water."  
SWIFT: "I am Windit, sky lord!!"  
FOX: "Firefighter, king of heat!!"  
BEAR: "Forestator, conqueror of the forest!!"  
TURTLE: "And I will name myself Rockhard. I am the leader of this group. Now, the next step is to find a suitable regrouping area."  
FIREFIGHTER: "A...Base."  
ROCKHARD: "Correct. Where do we start looking?"  
WINDIT: "I will scout ahead. I can fly, and I am quick. I will return shortly." He soars into the air, and spies potential headquarters. He soon finds a large cave, filled with Energon cubes. He flies back to his group. "I have located the perfect area for our new being."  
ROCKHARD: "Excellent. But for our forms to survive in this war, we need salvage from the intruders' vessels."  
FIREFIGHTER: "We will not be able to collect it unless we engage them in a fight."  
ROCKHARD: "That is the idea."  
FIREFIGHTER: "Perfect. I would like to see these forms in battle." He examines his left paw.  
FORESTATOR: "Let us be on our way." He stomps ahead, followed by the others.  
  
***  
  
At the Maximal Base, Optimus talks with Rhinox.  
RHINOX: "And it would be possible to escape through the Trans-Warp space opening."  
OPTIMUS: "Is there any way to stop Saurpion?"  
RHINOX: "Not that I've analyzed. Tigerhawk is our only hope for now."  
OPTIMUS: "Well, that's just prime."  
RHINOX: "But, as long as Scorponok's core consciousness is active, we can at least outsmart him."  
OPTIMUS: "That's one less worry at any rate."  
  
Tigerhawk is outside The Ark, practicing his maneuvers with Cheetor.  
TIGERHAWK: "Okay, now we practice eye coordination." He shoots missiles from under his arms toward the ground, in front of Cheetor. He effortlessly dodges each blast.  
CHEETOR: "Sorry, buddy, but you've gotta be faster than that!" He transforms to robot mode, and walks over to Tigerhawk. "It really wasn't fair. I am faster than any Pred."  
TIGERHAWK: "It does not matter, little cat. What if a Predacon was as fast as you are? There is no more room for mistakes here. I have learned that lesson well."  
CHEETOR: "Whoa, that's deep."  
TIGERHAWK: "Now, what do we practice next?" His spark begins to glow, and he falls to his knees.  
CHEETOR: "Tigerhawk!" He bends down to help Tigerhawk up, and his spark escapes his left hip. "Oh, no! There's big trouble coming. I've gotta tell Optimus." He picks Tigerhawk up, as he regains consciousness.  
TIGERHAWK: "Oh. They're coming."  
CHEETOR: "Let me guess, the Aliens?"  
TIGERHAWK: "Yes. The Vokk have returned."  
CHEETOR: "Let's go get Big Bot." He helps Tigerhawk back to Base.  
  
Rattrap and Silverbolt return to Base after scouting.  
RATTRAP: "Man, there's wasn't a single Pred out there. Talk about a waste of time."  
SILVERBOLT: "Surveying a safe land is no waste of time, my friend. It is a duty of honor."  
RATTRAP: "Yeah, whatever you say, Bolt." He rolls his eyes at him, and wheels himself into the Base. "I'm back. There's no more need to worry."  
OPTIMUS: "Yes, I'm sure." Cheetor and Tigerhawk enter the Base.  
CHEETOR: "Big Bot!"  
OPTIMUS: "Cheetor? What's wrong?"  
CHEETOR: "Tigerhawk says the Vokk are coming!"  
TIGERHAWK: "It's true. We're in danger."  
OPTIMUS: "This must have something to do with Saurpion."  
RATTRAP: "Oh, man, thanks to the resurrected reject, we have to fight the Aliens again? We're all gonna die!"  
OPTIMUS: "Please, Rattrap. Rhinox, set the scanners for our visitors."  
RHINOX: "Already on it." He presses random buttons on the control panel.  
OPTIMUS: "We'll need to increase Base defenses. Silverbolt, Rattrap, stand guard outside the Ark."  
SILVERBOLT: "As you command."  
RATTRAP: "Okay." They leave.  
OPTIMUS: "I'll have Depth Charge and Blackarachnia guard the back of the Base."  
CHEETOR: "What do we do?"  
OPTIMUS: "You'll guard the front. You'll know what's coming before anyone."  
CHEETOR: "You got it."  
TIGERHAWK: "We will serve." They walk out through the blast doors.  
OPTIMUS: "There's never a dull moment, that's for sure."  
  
***  
  
Deep inside Tarantulas' lair, the devious spider has made the same calculations.  
TARANTULAS: "My scanners have told me that the Vokk are coming back again. I am ready for them. They won't get the best of me this time."  
  
***  
  
At the Predacon Base, Megatron finds something interesting on the computer.  
MEGATRON: "So, Tarantulas is running another of his games, is he? What's this one about?" He leans in, and sees Energon readings on Tarantulas' screens. "So, the Aliens are attacking again? Don't they know better?" He hits an intercom button on his control chair. "Saurpion, I need you in the control room, now." Saurpion flies in.  
SAURPION: "Yes, Megatron? What can I do for you?"  
MEGATRON: "The Aliens appear to be mounting a new attack on us all."  
SAURPION: "Oh, no. Not again! I don't like them! They bad! Very bad!"  
MEGATRON: "Stop being a coward! They gave you their best weaponry, you can handle whatever they throw at you."  
SAURPION: "Really? You think I can?"  
MEGATRON: "Of course, Saurpion. I have total faith."  
SAURPION: "I won't let you down, Megatron. I'll destroy them!"  
MEGATRON: "Now, let's not be so hasty, no. Every time they visit, I gain potential for power. With the transportational weapon, I had a chance to go back and rule Cybertron. With Tigerhawk, I had a chance to attack the Maximals with a new Predacon."  
SAURPION: "But...Tigerhawk beat you senseless. He almost destroyed you."  
MEGATRON: "Let's never speak of that again!!!" Saurpion cowers at him. Megatron clears his throat.  
"The point is, the Aliens are important to me. We don't destroy them until I say we do." The Base shakes violently. Megatron falls from his control chair.  
SAURPION: "What's going on?"  
MEGATRON: "The attack. But I have no idea how they eluded my scanners." Fire burns a hole into one wall, and rolling rocks break through it.  
MEGATRON: "What?"  
ROCKHARD: "Megatron, we are here to destroy you, for crimes against time and space."  
MEGATRON: "Talking rocks?"  
SAURPION: "This very bad!"  
ROCKHARD: "I am Rockhard, leader of the Vokdroids."  
MEGATRON: "Vokdroids?"  
ROCKHARD: "A new breed of Cybertronian. Prepare to be terminated."  
  
***  
  
Megatron stares at the new warriors.  
MEGATRON: "Cybertronians, but Aliens. Fascinating."  
ROCKHARD: "I suggest you surrender immediately. We can get the universe back to its original state faster that way."  
MEGATRON: "I am Megatron! I do not surrender! Have you learned nothing?"  
ROCKHARD: "We have learned much indeed. We know that the only way to get to you is through direct contact. We are not Maximal, nor are we Predacon. We control everything that goes on in these forms. We are the Vokdroids, rulers of Earth. And as our first priority, we must extinguish your spark, as you Cybertronians put it."  
MEGATRON: "Why, this is quite entertaining. You have studied everything about us. No doubt due to your scans of Optimus Primal, Tigerhawk, and Saurpion."  
ROCKHARD: "Correct. I gather you are not at all worried about your imminent demise."  
MEGATRON: "I fear nothing. And I am not going to be destroyed."  
ROCKHARD: "You will soon see. Vokdroids, we must now use our activation codes."  
MEGATRON: "Ah, the hardware. This is the fun part." He elbows Saurpion for agreement. Saurpion nods, shivering.  
ROCKHARD: "Now! Rockhard, Barbarize!" He transforms into robot mode.  
LIQUIDA: "Liquida, Barbarize!"  
WINDIT: "Windit, Barbarize!"  
FIREFIGHTER: "Firefighter, Barbarize!"  
FORESTATOR: "Forestator, Barbarize!" They transform into robot mode.  
MEGATRON: "Incredible forms."  
ROCKHARD: "Meet your end, Megatron."  
MEGATRON: "Now is the time where we attack. Saurpion!" He blasts fire toward Rockhard.  
ROCKHARD: "That won't stop us. Liquida!"  
LIQUIDA: "Right!" She leaps into the air, and grabs a gun. She shoots water into Megatron's flame emitter.  
MEGATRON: "No!" He tries to make it work.  
ROCKHARD: "Windit, take the Saurpion creature."  
WINDIT: "Yes." He flies into the air on his rocket booster.  
SAURPION: "You won't destroy my leader." He opens his palms and fires missiles at Windit. Each one is dodged at high speed. "It can't be."  
WINDIT: "You'll never be quick enough to get me." He grabs a gun, and fires a whirlwind right at Saurpion. He goes spinning into a wall, and gets knocked unconscious.  
MEGATRON: "Blast!"  
ROCKHARD: "Please surrender, Megatron!"  
MEGATRON: "Not a chance!"  
ROCKHARD: "Don't move!" He grabs a blaster from his belt.  
MEGATRON: "Fine. I won't move." He smiles to himself, and secretly hits a contact button on his chest. All Predacons flood the Base and fire their weapons.  
ROCKHARD: "So, his reinforcements have arrived." He scans them all briefly. "It is five-on-five. They should be no problem to defeat. Take them down!" The Vokdroids separate, and attempt to conquer the Predacons. Rockhard moves in for the kill. "Megatron, your evil ways end here!" He aims his gun at Megatron's head, ready to fire. "The universe will be repaired!"  
MEGATRON: "Do what you must." Rockhard steadies himself, prepared to shoot. As he touches the trigger, he is shot in the back. He shakes, and falls over.  
TARANTULAS: "Welcome home."  
MEGATRON: "The dice once again roll in my favor." Tarantulas walks over.  
TARANTULAS: "I didn't do that for you!"  
MEGATRON: "Of course you didn't. Yet it was done. I can now proceed with my plans. How did you manage to shut him down?"  
TARANTULAS: "My new little toy. I was to use it on the Vokk themselves, but with these new Cybertronian forms they possess, my energy surging beam won't last much longer."  
MEGATRON: "Then I must strike quickly, yes."  
TARANTULAS: "They are not for you! I will study them!"  
MEGATRON: "I'm sorry, Tarantulas, but with all of your strange experiments, and your raw hatred toward me, I would not be confident that you wouldn't find a way to use these powerful soldiers against me. I don't think you should take them, with my best interests in mind." Tarantulas aims his ray at the tyrant.  
TARANTULAS: "That wasn't a question!"  
MEGATRON: "I was aware. But if you don't start paying attention to your friends, we will both be vaporized!" Tarantulas looks up, and sees Windit fire a hurricane toward him.  
TARANTULAS: "Oh, no!" He leaps off of the platform he was standing on.  
MEGATRON: "Beast mode!" He converts, and flies on the platform, directly before it is ripped apart by the brief weather disaster. "Coward! You use your elemental strengths against me? It is clear you cannot fight me bot to bot."  
WINDIT: "I am not afraid to face you, Megatron, but the sooner you are terminated, the better." He fires  
another whirlwind, at Megatron. He dodges.  
MEGATRON: "I have a plan for you, for all of you!"  
WINDIT: "We are not novice to your scheming." Rockhard awakens.  
ROCKHARD: "That...is right."  
TARANTULAS: "Why must you continue to pursue us? You'll never win."  
ROCKHARD: "We are about to claim our victory now. I must admit that when we came to this place, our intent was to collect salvage from your ship to use for our new headquarters, but now that we have Megatron at our mercy, we no longer require a base of operation."  
TARANTULAS: "Thank you for providing me with sufficient data regarding your stay here."  
ROCKHARD: "There is nothing you can do with that information."  
MEGATRON: "The arachnid has a very devious mind pattern. He can do much with anything."  
TARANTULAS: "Shut up, Megatron!" Rockhard turns to Megatron.  
ROCKHARD: "Attack him now! Megatron must fall today!" The Vokdroids scrap all of the Predacons, determined to complete their goal.  
MEGATRON: "I've told you before, you don't want to do this."  
ROCKHARD: "Silence, Megatron. It will all be over soon."  
MEGATRON: "Yes, it will. For you! Terrorize!" He transforms into robot mode, blows fire into the Vokdroids' faces, and escapes while they are blinded.  
LIQUIDA: "No! He's trying to escape!"  
ROCKHARD: "Surround the base. If he gets away, everything that is will no longer be." The Vokdroids split up, and block every possible exit. "Where is he?"  
FORESTATOR: "I'll run a scan." He accesses scanners, and views the entire structure. "I can't find him anywhere in here, despite my new scanning ability."  
LIQUIDA: "He must have already fled."  
ROCKHARD: "Impossible. There is no way he could have made it out that quickly." He thinks to himself. "I know!"  
LIQUIDA: "What?"  
ROCKHARD: "If he couldn't get out of here, he went under here."  
FORESTATOR: "The lava?"  
ROCKHARD: "Exactly. Firefighter, this is your territory."  
FIREFIGHTER: "Yes. I will find the fugitive, and terminate! Beast mode!" He transforms, and dives into the steaming molten rock. He activates his scanners, and dogpaddles through the blazing lava. "Come now, show yourself." The dragon lunges at the flame fox, and bites him on the neck. Firefighter fights him as hard as he can, while trying to maneuver himself to the surface. He eventually succeeds, as everyone aims their guns at Megatron.  
MEGATRON: "No!"  
ROCKHARD: "Nowhere to go."  
MEGATRON: "I have a hostage." He stubbornly holds Firefighter with his tiny arms.  
ROCKHARD: "It does not matter, as long as we are rid of you."  
MEGATRON: "Yes, of course. The first rule of tyranny is to never have compassion."  
WINDIT: "Hurry! Destroy him!" Everyone cocks their weapons.  
ROCKHARD: "Ready..." Megatron looks around the Base, searching for a way out. "...aim..." Megatron whispers to himself.  
MEGATRON: "There are no more hands to play. It can't be!"  
ROCKHARD: "Fire!" All of a sudden, the Base is blown into. Depth Charge flies into view.  
DEPTH CHARGE: "Knew that spy tower would come in handy." He transforms, retrieves his missile launcher, and fires rapidly. The rest of the Maximals appear.  
OPTIMUS: "Stop right now!"  
ROCKHARD: "The Maximals! Not now!"  
RATTRAP: "Whoa, these guys are uuuuug-ly!"  
OPTIMUS: "Draw their fire long enough for me to get Megatron out."  
CHEETOR: "No prob, Big Bot. Let's do it!"  
RATTRAP: "But...but the Aliens have turned themselves into some kind of weird, deadly Cybertronians. We can't beat them. We're all gonna die!"  
OPTIMUS: "I don't want to hear it! Go!" He shoves Rattrap into battle.  
SILVERBOLT: "We'll get him out, sir."  
OPTIMUS: "There's no other way it can go." Silverbolt runs off.  
ROCKHARD: "Keep the Maximals out of this. We're far too close now to be stopped." Liquida attacks Depth Charge.  
LIQUIDA: "You made a huge mistake coming here."  
DEPTH CHARGE: "Not the way I see it, lady." He stares at her. "If you are a lady."  
LIQUIDA: "Die!" She blasts him with her water gun. He gets knocked down.  
DEPTH CHARGE: "Dumb move." He massages his chest.  
LIQUIDA: "Very dumb!" She stands over him, and aims her blaster at his head.  
RATTRAP: "Hey, back off, mountain-spring!" He shoots Liquida in the stomach.  
LIQUIDA: "My...circuitry is damaged."  
RATTRAP: "And that ain't all that's gonna be damaged if you don't get lost!"  
LIQUIDA: "Can't risk any further battle. These forms are too new." She hobbles away. Depth Charge stands.  
DEPTH CHARGE: "Good work, Mouse."  
RATTRAP: "Yeah, yeah. I'm saving your sushi hide for myself!"  
DEPTH CHARGE: "Eat bad cheese!" He dashes toward the remaining Vokdroids.  
RATTRAP: "Let's get this over with!" Megatron flies out of the lava, and drops Firefighter.  
OPTIMUS: "Megatron, let's go!" Megatron lands next to him.  
MEGATRON: "I didn't need your help, Optimal Optimus, and I still don't!"  
OPTIMUS: "For the love of Primus, shut up and come on! This is for history!"  
MEGATRON: "I was never fond of our current history, but self preservation is always the right way, no matter how it comes to be." He walks toward the exit.  
OPTIMUS: "Well, that's just prime." He holds his head down. "Everybody move out!"  
RATTRAP: "Finally!" He runs off.  
CHEETOR: "All right. Beast mode!" He transforms, and speeds from the Predacon Base.  
SILVERBOLT: "Depth Charge!" Depth Charge stares at Rampage's dormant body.  
DEPTH CHARGE: "I'm gonna get Rampage!"  
SILVERBOLT: "Now is most definitely not the time! We're not in battle with the Predacons!"  
DEPTH CHARGE: "I don't care!"  
SILVERBOLT: "You had better start caring! If you're on the side of good, you will obey the orders of your commander!" Depth Charge looks back at Rampage.  
DEPTH CHARGE: "Right. Beast mode!" He transforms, and flies out of the Predacon base, followed by Silverbolt.  
ROCKHARD: "Our bounty has escaped us."  
WINDIT: "Shall we pursue?"  
ROCKHARD: "Negative. We shall proceed with the first objective, collect salvage from this ship to use inside our new headquarters."  
FIREFIGHTER: "As you wish." The Vokdroids separate, and pillage the base.  
  
***  
  
The Maximals return, with Megatron, to their base.  
OPTIMUS: "Well, Megatron, what are we going to do now? These new warriors won't stop until you're destroyed."  
MEGATRON: "We will do nothing! I will devise a plan to deal with the Aliens! And you will be annihilated along with them!" He flies away. Optimus yells to him.  
OPTIMUS: "Megatron, you're a target! These beings are too powerful! We have to work together!" He stops trying. "Great. I really hope Megatron can protect himself."  
RATTRAP: "I never thought I'd hear those words from you, Big Ape. But with everything going on now, anything's possible."  
CHEETOR: "So, what's up?"  
OPTIMUS: "First, we have to truly understand what these creatures are. We have no idea what we're up against."  
RATTRAP: "Oh, boy, do we ever?" He holds his head down.  
SILVERBOLT: "I am sure that with a strong spirit, we can handle anything thrown at us in this war."  
RATTRAP: "Could you get any more positive, Birddog?"  
OPTIMUS: "Sometimes being positive pays off, Rattrap. Now, let's get some well deserved rest."  
RATTRAP: "I'm for that." Everyone heads inside.  
  
***  
  
The Vokdroids put finishing touches on their headquarters.  
FORESTATOR: "Here is the last store of Energon cubes, sir."  
ROCKHARD: "Set it by the main computer." Forestator does as told.  
LIQUIDA: "So, how are we going to catch our prey?"  
ROCKHARD: "The dragon is an elusive character, I admit. We must think, and think hard to defeat him. So, we wait." He looks around the entire cave. "I dub thee, the Vokdroid Base!" He places his rock cannon on the side of the main computer keyboard.  



End file.
